Posters of great Black players adorned the courts, including Ashe, Venus and Serena Williams, Frances Tiafoe, James Blake, Mal Washington and Naomi Osaka. A tidy row of exhibitors was also present. There was Summer Body Moisturizer, 11 Dollar Sunglasses, Fa’s Rare Accents, Frankly Beautiful Juices, Shear Convenience, a hair salon; and Grand Slam LA, a lifestyle tennis boutique. On donated pairs of tennis shoes. A few yards from the courts were two food trucks.
Music echoed across the venue, one song after another played by DJ Aye Jaye, a prodigy of prominent DJ, Osh Kosh. Osh had also brought 25 children to the event, all part of her non-profit, Dreamers Youth. As sounds from Stevie Wonder, Brandy and Kendrick Lamar filled the air, event organizer Erika Bond shared her vision.
“This is all about expanding the sport,” said Bond, who ran the first edition of “The Cookout” in 2024. “Tennis is the healthiest sport you can play. It gives you skills that you need like resilience, focus, determination.”
